Inductors are ubiquitous in today's processing world and may be especially prevalent in radio systems (e.g. in a given headset). A low noise amplifier (LNA) is typically used as the first stage at the antenna (sometimes there is a filter between the antenna and the LNA) and with a purpose to amplify the received weak RF signals from an antenna. For ideal reception, the LNA should be power matched to the source that is driving the input of the antenna. A good match usually means to provide 50 hm input impedance. In case there is a filter and a balun between the antenna and the LNA, the optimal input matching impedance may be different.
The LNA should also provide enough gain such that the amplified signal could be further processed with enough signal-to-noise ratio. The signal quality should be preserved and, hence, the generated distortion is of importance. Therefore, the ability to properly resolve these significant processing issues in the field of electronics creates an interesting challenge. As with all such processing operations, of critical importance are issues relating to speed, quality, minimal board space consumption, accuracy, and automation.